Duty
by JitteryPlatypus
Summary: Elissa Cousland has never felt as though she has belonged in the world of nobility, she wishes to be free and able to make her own choices rather than have choices thrust upon her. But when her family are murdered by somebody who they had trusted, Elissa finds that her chosen path is not necessarily an easy one. NonWardenFemCousland, WardenMemCousland with new and old faces. R&R.
1. Chapter 1

**_Disclaimer:_**_ How I wish to own Dragon Age but alas, this will never happen. _

_A/N: This is more or less an accompanying piece with between and after the events of the game. This is a lot different from my other on-going fanfic **The Arrangement - **much more darker although not as dark as **The Price**! This story focuses on one of my playthroughs as Elissa Cousland, although this will not fully follow the story-line of the game. _

* * *

The arrowhead tracked its target, following the large adult wild boar as it snuffled its snout underneath the fallen tree trunk. The archer sucked in a breath, feeling anticipation as the bow landed on the preferable target point. The hiss of the string broke the quiet stillness of the forest clearing as it flew in the air to strike its target directly in the eye. The force of the arrow blinded the boar but did not kill the animal. It let out a screech of pain and charged blindly towards the archer.

The archer knocked another arrow on the string, and hastily pulled the bow back to their ear whilst their heart-beated rapidly as the enraged animal came closer to where their horse stood calmly between two tall elms. The bow sung again, the bow flying through the air to fall far from its target.

The archer cursed, turning the horse around and kicking it into a gallop. The mare whinnied as she caught the scent of the boar, her eyes rolling to the back of her head as she reared up. Her rider fell from their seat, and scrambled up to knock a hasty arrow.

The boar was close now, furious and pain filled. The archer cursed again as they tumbled over a loose stone, the arrow dislodged and lost in the grass. Suddenly, a hiss broke the scene; the arrow striking down the boar, burying deep within its neck. The fallen archer pushed himself back onto his feet as his saviour rode towards him.

"Looks like I have saved you again, little brother." The dark haired woman said with a broad grin.

* * *

She was the middle child. Her elder brother Fergus would inherit the ancient Teyrnir of Highever when their father passed on, carrying on the antiquated name of Cousland that was renowned for honour and duty. Whilst her younger brother, Aedan, would become a great knight and would act as his brother's seneschal once he became too old to battle in the tourneys.

Elissa was less important than her brothers. Since the day of her birth, her life had not been her own. Her noble status rendered her to be nothing more than a pawn in the grander scheme of life. Her father, Bryce, was a powerful man and second only to King Maric, himself. He was renowned for his part in the revolt against the Orlesian occupation of Ferelden, and for that his heir, Fergus, and his spare, Aedan were revered as direct copies of their father. Whilst, Elissa was treated with polite smiles and calculated inquires from fathers and mothers who wished to marry their son off to the daughter of such an ancient house. As a result, her interests and dreams of becoming a great warrior like her ancestors faded as marriage proposals and lessons of etiquette and the proper way to run a household began to take their course when she was the tender age of eight.

She was bitter and resentful by the feeling that she was nothing more than a brood mare, young and muzzled, and discussed over by men who thought of her as nothing. By the age of eleven, Elissa rebelled against the oppressive bonds that had been placed on her at such a young age. Her own mother, Eleanor, had been pinnacle in persuading her husband to allow their only daughter to take up archery. For as Eleanor had argued; it would allow Elissa to take part in hunts when she was older and introduced at court. This would then allow her to be a more suitable bride for a prospective suitor if she was able to share similar interests that ventured from the usual womanly arts. Despite Elissa's pleas to be allowed to be trained in swordplay alongside her brothers, Teyrn Bryce assigned one of the younger men of his barracks to oversee her archery lessons. Ser Gilmore was only a handful of years older than Fergus, but unlike the fun-loving elder sibling of the Cousland offspring, the newly sworn knight did not take his task lightly. After a long period of much needed hard work and discipline, Elissa had begun to be taught the rudimentary basics of archery. Despite the injuries that were caused during the lessons, Elissa's stubbornness and determination to spend day after day from dawn till noon saw her archery skill surpass her teacher.

She could, at least, take pride in something that _she_ was able to place value on, and not what duty expected from her.

**0000**

She was eighteen when her parents renewed their pressuring of an impending marriage. Elissa had grown into a beautiful woman, with her long dark brown coloured hair and bright green eyes, that her mother had declared were attributes that many men found attractive. Elissa knew that her archery was only a past-time, her true purpose was to marry well and produce an heir and a spare for her husband and yet she was hungry for a life of adventure. Most of her friends were male, and this often this would cause some concern for both of her parents whenever they heard rumours from gossiping servants that she had been seen sneaking kisses with the young men. It was the result of her last venture in Nan, the cook's larder that her mother had pressed her for considering a marriage with Arl Howe's son, Thomas.

"He is a good match," Eleanor Cousland had commented as Elissa returned to her chambers, muddied from her practice session.

She scowled as she brushed past her mother into her bedchamber. "He _may_ be a good match mother but Thomas is an over-stuffed boar."

"Darling," The Teyrna cried in dismay.

"_No, _Mother."

As the weeks turned into months, and the months turned into years the marriage talks decreased and faded completely as both Eleanor and Bryce realised that their only daughter had no interest in being married off, and since Fergus had married a lovely woman from Antiva and produced an heir, Elissa was allowed to be free from her duty.

For the time being.

* * *

Aedan Cousland moaned in disgust as he brushed the worst of the mud from his hunting garb. "You took your sweet time," he commented brusquely as he slung his bow on his back.

His sister rolled her eyes, "I was keeping part of the hunting party; unlike _you_, dearest little brother, whom decided to scout out on his own for wild boar."

Her brother grinned sheepishly, "I was merely ensuring that I actually got a kill. They all seem to go to you, sister."

Elissa chuckled throatily, "The kill score only seems to be associated with me because I, at least, practiced my archery skills."

Aedan shook his head and pulled himself back into his saddle, "Archery is for women." He commented off-handedly, missing the sudden stiffening of his sister's spine.

"We should go," Elissa commented coolly, "before Ser Gilmore sends out a search party for us both."

The two younger children of Bryce and Eleanor Cousland rode through the forest and the clearing in silence. Elissa, on her part, was furious with herself for becoming offended by her brother's thoughtless words. It was not her fault, of course, that she was born of the wrong sex. In some places, women were seen as strong pinnacles of society and that was held true in some part for Ferelden yet being born into nobility had rendered her choices to be _rather_ limited in regards to her pathway of life. Whilst she would never trade her family, she would often find herself wishing that she could at least have a day when she was nothing more than a farmer's daughter. Her observation of the lower class life seemed to be much simpler, freer than the life of a powerful nobleman's daughter. It had been a while since her parents had pushed the subject of marriage onto her but Elissa knew that very soon they would resume pursuing the topic again. She was twenty-three years old. Almost considered to be as "old" in marriage alliances between nobles, and yet the recent marriage between King Cailan and Anora Mac Tir had been a union in which the thirty year old newly crowned Queen had thrown off the nobles more archaic customs in regards to their women.

"So, do you think father will allow me to accompany him and Fergus to fight against the darkspawn?" Her brother's voice cut through her thoughts.

"What?"

She caught the green-blue glint of her brother's eyes as his gaze flickered briefly towards her in annoyance, "Honestly, it seems as though you never listen to me." He said with a sulk.

"That is not true!" Elissa protested. "As for your question, I don't think father will allow you to go south."

"Why the hell not!" Aedan huffed, "I'm twenty years old. Not five! I'm a better swordsman than Fergus, and a better tactician than father!"

"And you're acting as though you are a child," Elissa berated him. "Think for one moment. If father leaves you here, then that means that he trusts you to at least rally the men against this darkspawn threat."

"There would be no need to if he allowed me to accompany him," her brother responded grumpily.

Elissa sighed, at times like this there was no point in trying to reason with her brother.

**0000**

They had arrived at the castle keep at dusk, muddied and weary from their trek through the forest. Their mother, who had come out to greet them, took one look at her youngest children and declared that they were in need for a good scrub and fresh clothing for their dinner that night with their guests.

After her bath, Elissa ventured over towards the clothing that had been carefully placed on her bed. She was curious, often her mother would allow her to pick her own clothing but for once it seemed, Eleanor had taken it upon herself to ensure that her daughter was presented in garb that reflected her status.

Elissa's lip curled in disgust as she examined the satin dark blue dress with long white sleeves. She sighed as she realised that she had no choice but to wear the dress and the associated adornments that her mother had chosen to accompany it.

A knock at the door revealed her elder brother, dressed in the emblem colours of their house. He smiled kindly at her as he took in her more feminine appearance. "Why, Ellie! I do not think I have ever seen you wear a dress since mother or one of the maids dressed you as a little girl!"

Elissa returned the smile whilst she tugged self-consciously at the long sleeves, "Mother picked it out actually. I don't think I would have chosen this if I had a choice."

Fergus laughed, his good-natured chuckle affected his sister who joined him. "For what it is worth, dear sister, I do prefer you in your patched trousers and muddied shirts. Although, you _do_ seem to be handling mother's choice much better than our younger brother," he finished with an amused grin.

"He did not throw a fit again?" Elissa questioned with an exasperated sigh.

"Worse," Fergus beamed, his hazel eyes sparkling as he spoke fondly. "I have never seen mother take it upon her to actually scrub the dirt and…other muck from our brother."

Elissa chuckled, "He would not be Aedan if he did not cause a ruckus every now and again."

"No, he would not." Fergus replied with a fond smile, offering his arm out as he spoke. "I know you wish to be independent but mother and father _are_ having the Arl Howe and the leader of the Grey Wardens as guests for this evening's meal. So we should observe some etiquette."

Elissa scowled but took her brother's proffered arm, "Fine but only to not offend Howe's sensitivities."

**0000**

Dinner was a disappointment or so Elissa felt as the anticipated Grey Warden did not appear for the evening meal, leaving the only additional company to be that of her father's vassal. When she had entered on her brother's arm, the man had stood up with what Elissa supposed to take it as a kindly smile. Her father had introduced her to the man, his proud voice caused her to wince internally as she realised that he was proud of her for being the lady that her parents wished for her to be.

"I see that she has become a lovely young woman. I am very pleased to see you again, my dear. My son, Thomas has spoken about nothing else but you since he met you that year he came to be fostered here."

Elissa briefly struggled with the desire to retort what she truly thought about his son but instead forced a responding murmur of thanks whilst her father steered the conversation to what they were discussing about before the interruption from her entrance. He brother steered her around the long table to sit between her mother and Aedan.

"Are Oriana and Oren not joining us, Fergus?" Elissa asked with a puzzled quirk of her eyebrows as she noticed, for the first time upon entering the dining hall that her sister-in-law and nephew were not present.

Fergus shook his head, "Oriana felt that it was best that she and Oren missed tonight's formal meal. And as I'm heading out shortly after this, I do not wish for my son to listen to talk of war preparations."

Elissa nodded in understanding, turning to talk to her younger brother as Fergus took his place next to his father and the Arl.

"I hear you had a few issues with mother's cleanliness policy, Aedan." She commented with an amused glint in her eyes.

Aedan grunted in response, "She didn't want me to enter the hall with horse shit and mud on my clothing."

"It is probably for the best," Elissa commented as she poured wine from a nearby pitcher into her cup.

"Spoke to the Grey Warden," Her younger brother said abruptly.

Elissa raised her eyebrows in surprise, "So he is actually here? Why isn't he at dinner?"

"He had a slight argument with father."

She could only stare at him, waiting for him to elaborate.

"He wanted to recruit me as a Warden," Aedan confided after taking a sip from his goblet.

She stared at him in shock, "You…a…?"

Aedan gave her an amused smile. "What's the matter sister, finally lost the ability to speak? How joyous, I must inform the Chantry, so they can write verses of this miraculous occurrence!"

"He wishes for you to be a Grey Warden!"

"Why do you seem surprised?" Aedan commented in annoyance, "I'm an _exceptional_ swordsman, and the Wardens are famous for taking anyone who can wield a sword to fight the darkspawn."

Elissa pursed her lips as she bit back her thought that there was more to being a Grey Warden than being able to wield a weapon whilst her younger brother continued to gush about his meeting with the Warden Commander.

He was, thankfully cut off as their father declared the meal was finished. Bryce turned a fond gaze to focus on each of his children. "Now pups, it is time for bed. We will say our goodbyes at dawn."

**0000**

As she lay nestled deep into her pillow, Elissa allowed herself to dream about becoming part of the Grey Wardens. The idea of her living her life as an adventurer and a guardian of Ferelden – protecting the country from the ravages of a Blight consumed her as she drifted off to sleep. Unaware that this was the last night that such dreams would be only dreams.

* * *

**_A/N:_**_ So, what did you think? The next chapter will of course be the sack of Highever but what will happen there? Will Ellie go on to become a Grey Warden or will she go a different path? Thank you for reading. I will try to update the next chapter ASAP! _


	2. Chapter 2

Elissa mumbled as the barking from Aedan's dog woke her. _Stupid dog,_ she thought in annoyance as she rose sleepily from her bed. The mabari hound often barked during a night when her brother had _company_ in his room. She rubbed wearily at her eyes and stumbled towards the oaken door.

No sooner had she touched the handle, the door burst open with a suddenness that caused her to stumble back with a shocked scream, and her brother crossed the threshold clutching his arm. Blood ran over his hands and dribbling down his arm, drenching his night clothing. Ogre, his chocolate coloured mabari hound stood panting next to his master's side. The hound's coat drenched with blood that oozed from multiple cuts across his body.

"Maker, Aedan! What happened?" Elissa asked in concern, jolted back into reality at the sight of her brother.

"Elissa…" he murmured, his voice betraying his pain as his eyes squeezed shut against it. Elissa knelt beside him, ripping her nightgown to make a make-shift bandage. "The castle…under attack…."

She gaped at him, willing for him to speak, to provide an explanation or expecting it to be all a jest... For a few seconds, screams from the castle's occupants penetrated the silence that had drifted over them, and she dazedly wondered what the noise was and wished dearly that it _was_ one of her brother's jests. A woman's scream sounded outside the hallway which startled her out from her panic. Since the time that she was able to walk, her parents had installed in her that it was her duty to protect the people of Highever, no matter the cost. She ran to her trunk and pushed it open - pulling on a pair of trousers and grabbing her bow and quiver. She cast one look towards her brother, who had pulled himself back onto his feet.

"That sounded like Oriana…" Aedan commented in alarm, bolting out of the room and followed closely behind by Ogre, his mabari hound. Elissa knocked an arrow and followed them down the corridor that led to Fergus 'and their parent's bedchambers. Cries inside the adjoining hall propelled the two younger Cousland's into action.

When she rushed to follow Aedan into the hall, he was already crossing blades with an armed man whilst Ogre had another on his back, the man screaming as the mabari tore his powerful jaws into the exposed flesh at his neck. Another man, with dual blades came running towards her. It was sheer instinct that caused her to raise her bow and take aim, the arrow sinking into the man's skull with a loud thunk. Without a sound, her opponent crumbled to the ground.

Aedan's blade was darkened with blood as he came towards her, followed by his dog, and he took one look at her before removing her bow from her shaking hands. He patted her as he soothed her, "It is alright now Ellie, they are all dead now. We are safe here for a while."

"Elissa! Aedan!"

In Elissa's daze, it took her a moment to recognise her mother's voice, and when she looked up she saw her mother rushing towards her two children. Eleanor threw her arms around her daughter and her younger son, holding them tightly against her chain-mail shirt. "Thank the Maker that you are both safe! I heard screaming, and I feared that…"

Aedan broke the embrace, flinching in pain as he pulled away, "We are fine Mother."

"They are Howe's men," Eleanor said, her eyes grim as she took in the livery of the dead soldiers that her children had killed.

It took a moment for the words to sink in; the fear and shock that had been present gave way to pure rage, unlike anything that Elissa had ever known. "Where is he?" She growled, her hand balling into tight fists.

"Sister - now is not the time to be searching for Howe." Aedan said; his expression stern as he gazed at her.

"He _must_ pay for what he has done!"

Eleanor nodded. "And he will, darling. But first, we must search for your father, Oriana and Oren. Then we must leave the castle and flee."

Aedan turned to his mother with wide eyes, "Mother, we heard screaming – Oriana and Oren, they're in Fergus' room."

"Then we will see to them first. Hurry!" Together, they ran down the corridor towards Fergus' chamber. To Elissa, each step felt heavy, and when she saw the door to the chamber standing ajar, and the lack of light from the interior she knew that something dark and twisted had happened. Aedan foundered at the sight, and his expression of fear was not something that Elissa was used to be witnessing from her younger brother. She moved forward, gently brushing past her mother and brother, and cautiously opened the door wide enough to be able to see inside.

The light from the hallway poured into the chamber, as if the light was banishing the evil that had taken place within. The dread that had begun to be built up transformed into fury and nausea as she took in the horrific scene before her eyes. She leant against the door frame for support as grief overwhelmed her. Her mother attempted to push passed her but Aedan grabbed her before she could take in the full scene. "No, mother – don't…don't look!"

The Teyrna sobbed into her son's shoulder, her arms thrown around his neck as she wailed. Hot tears ran down Elissa's own face, but she pushed herself away from the door frame – rage crashing over her grief like a powerful wave. "Mother, we can't stay here. We need to find father and push back _that_ bastard's…"

"What manner of fiends would slaughter such innocence?" Eleanor moaned too overwhelmed to pay heed to her daughter's attempt to move them on. "Fergus…my poor Fergus…and my poor little Oren. "

Elissa shot her brother a pointed glance, and he gently pushed their mother back. Ogre crowded behind his legs, whining at the loss and despair.

"Mother," Aedan choked, "We need to find father. Help us to find father and then we can get justice for Oriana and Oren." He turned to look down at the dog. "Ogre, find father."

The sympathetic glance from the far too intelligent eyes, the hound turned and darted down the hall and out of the family's living chambers - forcing the three humans to follow at a jog.

* * *

The crest of Amaranthine was everywhere but Elissa's hands no longer shook as she fired arrow after arrow down at them, each death fuelling her vengeance further. She wanted to wipe them all out for bringing such death and destruction onto her family and home.

As if sensing her hatred, Aedan placed a hand on her shoulder. "Please Ellie, I want vengeance against that_ bastard_ as much as you do but _please_ do not let your grief control you."

Elissa refused to believe what she was hearing; her normally rash brother had taken on a calming stoic tone to his voice. She roughly shook his hand off her shoulder but Aedan grabbed her arms and slammed her back against the wall, hard enough to knock the wind from her. His eyes burnt hot with grief and hatred that Elissa realised with a jolt that it reflected her own. "We _will_ get our vengeance on him, I promise you this sister but we _must_ find father."

"Go men! Man the gates, and keep those bastards out for as long as you can!"

The familiar voice over the thundering sound from the ram at the gates caused Elissa to falter as she took in the scene that was taking place in the great hall. Ser Gilmore and the remaining of Highever's soldiers were braced against the main gates, in a vain attempt to keep Howe's forces from overwhelming the interior of the castle. For a moment, their eyes met and he seemed to sag in relief. "Your ladyship! My lord and lady! You're alive!"

"How did this happen, Ser Gilmore?" Eleanor asked calmly.

"The Arl's men were brought into the castle during the Teyrn's meeting. Claimed that they just arrived to swell the legion that would ride out with the Teyrn come dawn but no sooner had the rest of the castle had gone to sleep, they attacked us." He gazed at the Teyrna in earnest, "I swear to you, your ladyship, we had no warning. They overwhelmed us at first but we pushed them back."

Aedan surveyed the scene from his position, kneeling down besides his hound. "Do you need help in holding this area? Mother and Ellie can go and find father, and we can…"

Ser Gilmore shook his head. "The Teyrn went to the larder, in search of you. He was badly wounded; you must take your mother and sister and make straight for it. I will hold the hall for as long as I am able to."

Aedan began to argue, to scream that he was just as good as those who were holding the main doors but the touch of his mother's hand lodged the words in his throat. The look in her bright green eyes driving home the lesson that the Cousland children had learnt since birth.

_Duty._

"Your ladyship," Ser Gilmore promptly urgently as the doors shook with another powerful ramming, "We don't have much time. You must go now!"

Elissa paused whilst her mother and brother left the hall. The realisation that he was going to die completed the horror that she had felt since she had saw the mutilated corpses of her sister-in-law and nephew. Tears fell and she threw her arms around the knight, taking him by surprise as silent sobs burst from her. He hugged her back just as tightly before pushing her away, his hands around her waist as if he did not wish to let her go. "May the Maker watch over you, Elissa."

* * *

It was dark in the larder, but the scent of blood and the soft laboured breaths that accompanied from somewhere in the darkness prompted the weary survivors to enter deeper into the larder. "There…you all are. Maker be praised." Elissa could see her father, lying in a corner behind sacks of flour, propped up on one elbow whilst the other arm clutched at his stomach. She could see the dark red stain of blood spread out around him. She followed her mother as she ran to her husband's side, her brother close behind. Eleanor voice quivered as she took in the sight of her husband, and fell to his knees besides him. "Maker's blood, what's happened? You're bleeding!"

"Howe's men…attacked. Howe…the slippery snake almost did me in right there."

"That _bastard!_" Eleanor hissed, "Can you walk? The servant's passage is right here, we can flee together – find you healing magic!"

"No...The castle is surrounded, I cannot make it." Bryce looked at his wife sadly, resignation set in his eyes. He bit back a whimper of pain as he wheezed. "Someone must reach Fergus."

Elissa understood what he was saying, and spared a glance over towards her brother. His dark curls obscuring his features as his face was buried in his mabari's fur. "You can tell him yourself father," She whispered through her tears.

Bryce smiled sadly, "I…won't survive the standing, pup."

"I am afraid the teyrn is correct."

At the sound of the unfamiliar voice, Aedan rose on to his feet with his sword and shield poised for battle. Elissa watched as the striking figure of a tall man emerged from the shadows, his leather armour stained by blood, though he appeared to not have a scratch on him.

At the sight of the man, Aedan relaxed. "Duncan, what are you doing here?" He asked incredulously.

The man, Duncan, spared Elissa a single glance before calmly approaching her father. She watched as the man knelt down next to the older man.

"Duncan, I beg you…" Bryce pleaded weakly, his breaths coming short and quick as pain enveloped him. "Please. Take my family to safety."

The man looked down at the Teyrn with a compassionate expression on his exotic features. "I will, your lordship." Duncan said with a bow, before hesitating. "But…I fear I must ask for something in return."

"Name it." Bryce answered immediately.

"What is happening here pales in comparison to the evil that is now loose in this world. I came to your castle seeking a recruit. The darkspawn threat is too large to ignore that I must leave with one."

Realisation struck her as she recognised that this was the Grey Warden that her brother had met. Fury burned through her at his presumptuous attitude to make demands during this time, but her father replied before she could challenge the Warden. "I understand."

"My lord, your son is a worthy candidate, and the Wardens would be honoured to have him in our ranks."

Elissa watched as her brother gave a start but he otherwise remained in grim silence.

"Bryce, are you sure?" Eleanor questioned, quietly as her fingers gently brushed back the blood running from her husband's mouth.

The Teyrn nodded as he said faintly, "Our son and daughter will not die at Howe's treachery." He turned to his children, his eyes filled with pain and sadness as he gazed at them individually. "Pups, I know that you will do what is right for our family. We must always follow our duty, no matter how painful or difficult it may be at the time."

"Go darlings, go with Duncan," Eleanor instructed calmly, through her unshed tears. "Go whilst you have a chance. I will remain with your father to spare you some extra time."

"No Mother!"

"Eleanor!"

"Hush," Elissa watched as her mother drew an arrow from her quiver and set it into the string. Her eyes filled with a cold purpose as she did so. "I will not abandon you, Bryce. "

Before she realised what was happening, Elissa was being dragged, pulled into the servant's passageway that lead out of the castle. She fought against the iron grip in futile. Her last sight of her parents was her mother kneeling down on the stone floor with her father's head lying in her lap.

Her grief devoiding her of her strength, willpower and hope as the cool night air embraced her.

* * *

She felt empty. Her life the way it had been was over – gone. And she hated herself for dreaming of her freedom, of now petty things. She would give anything for this nightmare to be nothing more than a dream but the sight and smell of fire and blood that currently ravaged her home was an unpleasant reality to something that she tried to pretend otherwise.

"Sister…"

Her little brother's voice drifted over her but otherwise she remained silent. Her heart felt as though it had been shredded into a thousand pieces, broken and irreversible.

"Ellie.."

"You should leave your sister be for tonight. We must reach the safety of the border before daybreak."

"Yes, and I would not put it passed Howe to have sent some sort of pursuit – just in case one of us managed to escape." Aedan murmured as he continued to drag his sister alongside him, whilst he followed the Grey Warden down the worn pathway across the dark green field.

* * *

The little straw-thatched inn that they had decided to spend the night in was a quaint family affair. Its owner was a portly sized woman in her late forties who took one look at the three bedraggled travellers and allocated them two rooms – one for the men and the other for Elissa. As she waited for the innkeeper to fill up the hot water for her bath, Elissa was relieved and grateful that the woman did not attempt to speak to her. "Here you go, my dear," was all that the older woman had said before she picked up the large bucket and vacated the room.

Elissa stripped out of her dirty and blood stained clothing. Naked, she climbed into the warm water and watched as the clear water turned a dark red. She flinched inwardly as she watched the blood swirl as it mixed with the water. Tears began to fall again as she reflected back on the sack of Highever. She closed her eyes and could only see the faces of her father, her mother, Oriana and Oren accompanied by Ser Gilmore and other familiar retainers. And yet, deep down she knew that none of them would want her to be consumed by grief. Unbidden her father's last words came back to her. _We must always follow our duty, no matter how painful or difficult it may be at the time…_

Furiously, she wiped the back of her hands across her eyes and cheeks. Her heart hardening with each wipe. She had to follow her duty, and choose her path. While she could travel to Ostagar with her brother and the Grey Warden, she knew that there was no place for her in that world, and although Duncan had not yet recruited her into the Grey Wardens she felt that she had another path to follow – one that was albeit not as dark as the path that her younger brother was preparing to walk down on.

Her family's murderer was still out there.

_Probably nestled in the castle now,_ Elissa raged wordlessly.

Her purpose decided, she rose from the bath, and began to scramble for her dirt-stained clothing. After tying up the last lace of her boot, she grabbed her bow and quiver and slung them over her shoulder. She paused briefly in the hallway, wavering on whether to say her goodbyes to her brother but she decided against it. There had already been too many tears shed tonight.

She strode through the deserted hall of the inn and closed the door behind her. She rounded the corner of the building and headed towards the small barn that they had passed on their way towards the inn. Elissa had recalled that Duncan had mentioned that the innkeeper kept a work-horse to help on the small farm adjacent to the inn. She dearly hoped that the innkeeper did not mind too much when she discovered the horse to be missing in the morning. Elissa unlatched the bar on the door and entered inside the building, and after a quick scan of her surroundings she walked down to the last stall. The horse was plump and elderly but he did not shy when she tied the tack onto his back nor did he buck when she mounted him.

Later as they trotted along the worn road that wound its way towards Amaranthine, Elissa felt as though she had at last found her purpose. Her duty was clear. She would kill Arl Howe, and anyone that had supported in his sick and twisted conspiracy.

* * *

_**A/N: **Sooo, what did you think? The premise of this story has now begun. Will Ellie get her revenge? Will her path become as dark and tangled as what will await her brother? My inspiration for this story comes from some of the events during ASOIAF, David Gaider's The Stolen Throne (if you haven't read it already, i highly recommend it!) and the tales of Robin Hood. _


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you to those who have shown interest in this story so far. I really appreciate it, so thank you! **

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Elissa found herself slumped wearily against the door-frame that led inside to Amaranthine's only reputable inn; The Crown and the Lion. Her heart was heavy with grief and despair from the swirling turmoil that had grown inside of her since she had left her brother and the grey warden at the small thatched inn. She furrowed her brows as she tried to think about her next step; Arl Howe was no longer in the town but she knew from what little information she had gathered in the inn that his current location was unknown.

Sighing in frustration, she pushed herself away from the door-frame and wandered away from The Crown and the Lion inn. The large port-town of Amaranthine was a bustling, noisy and smelly city; a town that Elissa had often visited with her parents but as she pushed her way through the city she realised that her proposed places to visit to gather information were not accessible for someone disguised as she was. Here, she was not Elissa Cousland: a daughter of the Teryn of Highever. Here, she was nothing more than a muddied and weary traveller who certainly did not resemble the young noble woman that she was a few days ago.

Unknowingly, she found herself wandering towards the less reputable quarter of the city. As she walked passed street urchins and dodgy merchants, her thoughts turned to what her mother would say if she could see her daughter now. Her small smile vanished as quickly as it came. Eleanor Cousland was dead. What did it matter for her to think about her now?

She stopped short as her gaze locked on to a small and ill-kept building. The Sailor's Treasure was a less than reputable inn that also, from what she gathered from the talk of her father's guardsmen, functioned as a brothel. Elissa paused as she debated whether or not it would be preferable to find another place to gather information but from what she remembered from overhearing the men at home, the Sailor's Treasure was a popular place to visit by the poor and rich alike.

Steeling herself she strode towards the inn and pushed open the cheap wooden door. Inside was as small and ill-kept as the outside. She wrinkled her nose at the unpleasant smell that wafted through the stale air to greet her; it smelt of vomit, urine, alcohol and sex. The occupants inside the inn were of no better quality, Elissa noticed in disgust, the women were in various stages of undress whilst the men were either nursing mugs of ale or entertaining the women. She could not believe that she would have to lower herself to this mentality in order to get information but she pushed the thought down in determination. If there was one thing that she must do, it was to follow her duty to issue vengeance against Howe.

She was so consumed by the burning hatred that swirled in her heart that she did not notice the hand that reached out to pull her down to sit on a masculine lap. Shocked and startled did not begin to even cover her disgusted reaction as she futilely tried to free herself from the man's grip.

"Aw come on love, don't you want to have a little play?" A dour voice boasted with a chuckle whilst his fingers ran up and down her leg.

"Touch me again and I will _kill_ you!" Elissa growled as she swiped a wondering hand that had been moving to untie the laces of her pants.

"Aw come on, don't you want to play?"

She felt the urge to roll her eyes at the stupidity of this particular man. As she was about to reach for her dagger to put an end to this unfortunate misunderstanding a hand shot out to grasp around her wrist. Furiously she turned her gaze to focus on a lithe elf.

"Angus, I don't think that this woman is one of the pleasure women of this charming locale." The red haired elf stated with an amused grin across his features.

The man, Angus, looked down at Elissa in bemusement. "But Cailean, she's dressed like…"

Suddenly her fury exploded, and she pulled her dagger out from its sheath and pressed it against the man's thick neck. "Do I _look_ like a whore?"

It was hard to tell whether the man was shocked or confused by her action but a brief glance towards the elf persuaded him to release her from his grasp. At once, Elissa sprang to her feet and flurried the dagger towards him.

The elf, Cailean, laughed at her reaction. "Relax. Angus didn't mean to mistake you for a whore. _Believe me_, the only women who come in here are whores." He placed his hand over her own and guided the dagger down so that it hung, limply against her side. "Now, why don't you two make friends and we can all put aside this unfortunate misunderstanding."

Angus nodded and offered his hand towards her; an action that strongly reminded her of Oren. She pushed back the familiar feeling of grief and sheathed her dagger before taking the man's large hand into her own.

The bald headed man smiled broadly, revealing broken and yellow stained teeth.

"Excellent. Now, why would a young woman such as yourself be in an _inn_ such as this?" The elf queried with an inquisitive quirk of his eyebrow.

She frowned at his question whilst her mind mulled over many thoughts. One unpleasant thought stuck out amongst the rest; was this man and his companion a spy placed by Arl Howe to listen out for any news that may occur if there were survivors from the sack at Highever castle? She furrowed her eyebrows in contemplation; it was a slight possibility and yet when she had visited The Crown and the Lion inn she had not managed to hear any news that Highever had been besieged or that the ruling family had been all but slaughtered. It was possible that Howe and his allies in the town could be keeping it a secret from the common townsfolk, such things did occur after all.

With this thought in mind she regarded the men before her with a steely, haughty expression that hardened her features. "I am here because I wished for a change of scenery."

The elf's expression was difficult to read but if he thought differently, he otherwise remind tight-lipped on his true thoughts and provided her with an enigmatic smile. "Of course, The Crown and the Lion must be so _dull_ compared to The Sailor's Treasure." He turned towards his companion. "Well Angus we must be off, let us leave this young lady in peace."

The last sight that Elissa had of the two men was the sceptical leaf coloured eyes of the elf as he and his human friend exited the inn. She did not know why they had left so suddenly but if it was to inform the city guard that a survivor from Highever or even worse, the daughter of the Teyrn had survived the bloody coup then she needed to act fast; gather as much information as she could, find out Howe's location if she was lucky, and leave the city. It was becoming too dangerous for her to remain here.

OOO

"Hey Cailean, why did we leave?" Angus asked in confusion as he followed his friend down the dark street.

The elf waved an impatient hand back at him. "The woman…"

"Oh yeah, the woman!" The burly human exclaimed happily, "She did seem very nice although I think that she was a little angry. What do you think?"

"Angus, my friend. I really would prefer if we waited and spoke to the others about this."

"Why?"

Cailean paused in the middle of the street and turned his face slightly towards his companion. "Why? Because I don't think that that woman is in that inn for a "change of scenery". She's up to something and I'm going to find out what it is."

"You think that she's a spy for…?"

Cailean waved a hand to silence his friend. "I don't know but we are going to find out. _That _I can promise you."

OOO

Ostagar was a place that Aedan had heard about from the combined tales of his father and lessons from his tutor, Aldous but he had never had the privilege to visit the famous stronghold in person. How he wished that Ellie was with him, he reflected with a pang. He had awoken to the noise of arguing, only to find that the cause of the ruckus was that his sister had at some point taken off during the night, stealing the inn keeper's old shire horse in the process. He was still uncertain of _why_ his sister would take such a drastic action and yet she had been so very withdrawn into herself as they had fled from Highever that he should have known that his sister would have done something as rash as this.

Yet he hadn't and now here he was; at Ostagar and miles away from any possibility of finding his sister again. He only hoped that she was still alive.

"The Tevinter Imperium built Ostagar long ago to prevent the Wilders from invading the northern lowlands," Duncan said, unaware of his companion's inner turmoil, as they walked under the great, crumbling archway that had once been built as part of the entrance to the fortress before it had fallen into disrepair. "It is fitting that we make our stand here, even if we face a different foe within that forest. The King's forces have clashed many times with the darkspawn but here is where the bulk of the horde will shore itself. There are only a few Grey Wardens within Ferelden at the moment but all of us are here. This Blight must be stopped, here and now because if we fail it will spread north and Ferelden will fall."

"Ho there, Duncan!"

Aedan looked up to see a golden figure running towards them. He watched in bemusement as he recognised Cailan Theirin, the King of Ferelden. He had only seen the blonde haired man from a distance during the rare and infrequent occasions when his father allowed the younger Cousland children to accompany him to royal functions in the capital. He was so engrossed in his scrutiny of the man that he did not realise that he had been addressed.

Aedan jolted in embarrassment and bowed his head towards the King in apology.

"There's no need." Cailan smiled broadly. "You are Bryce's youngest, are you not? I don't think we have had the pleasure of meeting in person before?"

"We haven't, Your Majesty. I am Aedan."

"Your brother, Fergus, has already arrived with a contingent of your soldiers but we are waiting for your father."

Aedan's heart jerked painfully in his chest at the casual mention of his father. "You…haven't heard?"

The curiosity of the King's gaze caused him to seethe with indignation. "I assume that news from the north is not as important as news from the south, Your Majesty." Aedan seethed. "My father and mother are dead. Murdered by Arl Howe who has overtaken Highever Castle and slaughtered its inhabitants."

Cailan's eyes widened in shock, and his guards, who Aedan had not noticed until this point, swore in shock at the news. The King regarded the younger man with a mixture of grief and confused anger. "I don't understand. How could he think that he would even get away with such treachery? Did he truly believe that I would not act when I learnt of this?"

"I do not believe that is the case, Your Majesty," Duncan said quietly, "Had we not escaped, he would have killed us and told you any story he wished."

Cailan regarded Aedan with a hardened expression on his handsome features. "I am afraid that justice must wait until the Blight has been dealt with but I can assure you that once we are done here, I will turn the whole of my army north and bring Howe to justice. I swear this to you, upon my honour."

Aedan bowed his head. "I guess that's the best I can hope for. Thank you, Your Majesty."

"I'm afraid that your brother and his men are out scouting in the Wilds."

A lump formed in his throat as he found himself thinking about his brother, his dead sister-in-law and his nephew. "I…am not eager to tell him."

The following conversation seemed to pass by Aedan as a blur as his thoughts weighed heavily. He was so engrossed in his grief that he was shocked when Duncan introduced him to another Warden.

"This is Alistair; he shall accompany you on your trial later on today."

Aedan regarded the tall, tawny haired man with a dull expression before kneeling down onto the ground, burrowing his head into his arms as he did so; for he had no wish for anyone to see the tears that had begun to fall as Ogre, his chocolate coloured mabari, leant against him as if sharing his expression of grief and hopelessness.


End file.
